Iraq, Syria should enhance cooperation to tackle shared challenges: Sudani

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani has called for enhancing cooperation with Syria to tackle shared challenges, stressing that the security and stability of the two countries are two factors that foster stronger unity in confronting these issues.

Sudani made the remarks at a joint news conference with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the capital Damascus on Sunday, after the two leaders held talks aimed at securing their shared border and bolstering economic ties. 

"Iraq and Syria are tied to each other and have common relations. In order to deal with the challenges that Iraq and Syria are struggling with, coordination must be done," he said.

“The key to the security and stability of the region is a good economic situation. … [Our] armed forces stood strong against the terrorists. We and Syria are facing shared challenges," he added.

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Sudani went on to say that Iraq and Syria are facing water shortage challenges, emphasizing that the two sides should cooperate to secure their fair water rights. 

“The big challenge is that a large part of the water rights that Syria and Iraq have in the Tigris River is stolen from them," he stated, due to an upstream dam-building by neighboring Turkey.

The Iraqi premier further noted that the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation to reduce drug smuggling,

He also said Iraq supported the lifting of sanctions on Syria, which have been put in place by the United States and European countries since 2011, adding that its doors are open to investors.  

Elsewhere in his remarks, Sudani reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the Palestinian cause, saying Baghdad’s position towards the cause is firm and rejects the Israeli occupation.

The Iraqi prime minister also condemned Israeli airstrikes against Syria. "We emphasize our steadfast position in rejecting and opposing any Israeli occupation in any Arab land. We also reaffirm our rejection of any Israeli attacks on Syria and Lebanon."

Sudani arrived in Damascus on Sunday for a two-day official visit, the first such trip by an Iraqi premier since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011. He was received by Assad at the presidential palace in Damascus. 

Assad, for his part, hailed the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, for their fight against terrorism.

"The brotherly country Iraq stood beside Syria during the war against terrorism and rejected all the justifications from the aggressors against Syria," he said at the joint press conference.

Assad went on to say that he spoke with Sudani about the situation of the Arab countries and the challenges in the region, adding that they discussed measures to develop economic relations.

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Since March 2011, Syria has been gripped by a campaign of militancy and destruction sponsored by the US and its allies.

The two sides maintained relations throughout Syria's war even as other Arab states withdrew their ambassadors and closed their embassies in the war-torn Arab country.

Baghdad and Damascus cooperated in the fight against the Daesh terrorist group, which spread from Iraq into Syria and at one point controlled more than a third of both countries.

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